7 Reasons Not to Worry This Week

Don't let the summer doldrums get you down. The market's doing better than you probably think.

Sure, many of the market averages turned negative last week. The S&P 500 took a 4% hit, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite suffered a 5% whack. I also didn't help matters by bringing up seven companies that are projected to post lower quarterly earnings this week.

Thankfully, there will be far more companies improving their bottom lines this week than those going the wrong way.

Let's go over seven publicly traded companies that are expected to stand tall this week by posting year-over-year improvement on the bottom line.

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Clearing the table
Let's start at the top with Home Depot. The home improvement retailer is a great proxy for consumer confidence. The days of easy cash-bank refinancing and condo flipping are toast, so if folks are spending more money on improving their homes at the chain's superstores, it should be a fair indicator of positive homeowner sentiment. Who needs a crystal ball when you have an orange apron?

Jamba is the parent of the smoothie chain. Jamba Juice has been tested lately as coffee shops and burger joints are tacking on smoothies to their premium beverage offerings. Jamba's challenge will be to use the renewed interest in the occasionally healthy fruit shakes as a way to set itself apart as an upscale alternative to the limited choices elsewhere.

Analysts see Jamba reversing a year-ago loss with a solid profit in its quarterly report tomorrow. This is a seasonal business, as smoothies are easier sells as icy thirst quenchers on hot summer days.

Brocade is targeted to post marginal bottom-line improvement on Wednesday. There's an opportunity here. The data storage company has been out of favor lately, hitting a new low two weeks ago. Its stock is trading for roughly half of its 52-week high at the moment. It's also profitable, growing, and trading at a low earnings multiple.

Suntech and Yingli Green Energy are solar energy plays. This is a sector that is bouncing back into favor as analyst upgrades, healthy income improvement, and upbeat developments are fueling an interest in alternative energy. Suntech is expected to improve on last year's showing, while Yingli should have no problem reversing a steep loss during the same quarter a year ago.

Marvell is another likely winner. Don't confuse this with the comic book giant. Marvell -- with an extra "l" at the end, but not for loser -- is a semiconductor titan with promising prospects in the mobile chip market. This will be a booming market for the next several years, and it's already paying off. The pros see Marvell's quarterly profit more than doubling on Thursday.

Finally, we have GameStop. The video game retailer has had a hard time convincing skeptics that it will be relevant as the gaming industry embraces digital distribution. If CDs and DVDs are suffering from lackluster physical sales, why should video games hold up in disc form? In fact, the video game industry has been in a funk since early last year.

I'm not GameStop's biggest fan. I see it on a slow road to extinction. However, the retailer's attractive model with low-cost stores is clearly still bringing home the bacon. A strong resale market on high-margin used games and crafty expansion has helped GameStop grow in this environment. Until that changes, it's easy to be skeptical about the skepticism itself.

Cross those fingers, but know the fundamentals
Investors in these seven stocks have a right to be excited. They are all improving their financial situations. They are worthy of the gains that the market rally has bestowed upon them over the past year.

I wouldn't be uncomfortable owning any of these companies. They're doing the right thing, regardless of Mr. Market's mood swings.

The expectations may be high, but these seven stocks wouldn't have it any other way.

Are you a buyer or a seller of stocks these days? Share your strategy in the comments box below.